UH bows out in WAC semifinals

New Mexico State fends off comeback bid

March 10, 2012

LAS VEGAS - Even though there were still 10 minutes remaining, Hernst Laroche's 3-pointer while being hacked was a big reason New Mexico State avoided a massive collapse.

More importantly, the Aggies' hopes for a second NCAA tournament bid in the last three seasons are still alive.

Wendall McKines led five New Mexico State players in double figures with 22 points, Laroche's rare four-point play stemmed the University of Hawaii's rally from a 20-point deficit, and the Aggies held on for a 92-81 win over the Rainbow Warriors in the Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament semifinals on Friday.

Article Photos

Hawaii’s Jeremiah Ostrowski and New Mexico State’s Hernst Laroche battle for a loose ball during the Aggies’ 92-81 victory over the Rainbow Warriors on Friday in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

AP photo

Hauns Brereton of Hawaii dunks over New Mexico State’s Tshilidzi Nephawe on Friday.

AP photo

Second-seeded New Mexico State (25-9) will face No. 5 seed Louisiana Tech in the final today.

"We've been working since August. We expected to get here," McKines said.

New Mexico State jumped out to 17-0 and 22-2 leads, but the sixth-seeded Rainbow Warriors were within single digits by halftime, then hit their first three shots of the second half and got as close as 61-60 with 10:35 left, but Laroche's momentum-turning basket followed - the foul was on Jeremiah Ostrowski.

"We cut that sucker to one, I thought that was a great sign," said UH coach Gib Arnold. "That kid hit the 3 and we foul them, it went to five really quick. That was not a good sign."

Shaquille Stokes scored 21 points for the Warriors (16-16), who will play in the Big West next season. Vander Joaquim added 17 points.

"To go up and battle against that team and have a chance to win there at the end was something that I am pleased with," Arnold said. "Whenever the bleeding stopped, I thought we started playing pretty good."

New Mexico State had beaten UH by 42 in Las Cruces on Feb. 23.

"For us to beat them the way that we did at our house the last time we played them and then to come out and play with this kind of passion speaks volumes to where (Arnold) has taken that program," Aggies coach Marvin Menzies said.